Courtney wanted to struggle and scream, but the thick cloth covering her mouth was firmly blocking her sounds.
Paula left the room to see the Countess off, and while Mrs. Becker excitedly took up the Countess's office, the head maid, Dolly, trembled.
'If I hadn't honestly confessed the Countess's mistake earlier, I probably would have-.'
She knew that she was as valuable as a fly to the cold-hearted Count. However, she thought that the Countess cared for her superior servants.
The tips were generous, and she was kind to maids like Paula. Dolly thought she was aware of their hardships since she was from the common people.
'She would gladly sacrifice Courtney for Paula.'
The maid realized that she too was on the verge of death in the same situation as Courtney.
Soon Rolf brought up the idea of cutting the head maid's salary for her involvement with the Countess.
But she was so trembling that she couldn't even complain. She couldn't even think about Odette staring at her like that.
The enraged Count ordered Ferdinand to kill Courtenay without anyone knowing.
“If you’re going to do it, kill her as painfully as possible. Since she dared to touch my keys.”
Ferdinand agreed. His father seemed angry that Paula had touched Karl, but Ferdinand was angry that she had touched Odette.
Of course, it was Paula who had messed with Odette, but Ferdinand was not angry because she had the discernment to be his subordinate.
“How dare you, Paula and Courtney. Two worthless people join hands and mess with the property of their superiors?”
That's why Ferdinand chose his power as the way for Courtney to die. The power to control insects.
Without anesthesia, the pain was so intense that they summoned the most excruciating insects to sting Courtney's body.
Ferdinand, who had been harassing her for a long time, turned his back on Courtney and abandoned her in the graveyard when her death became certain.
Courtney died on the execution grounds, unable to even scream, her throat swollen from the insect's venom.
'It'll soon be dawn...'
It's been a painful night, but the pain seems to be going away now.
Courtney also knew that this was because she was so close to death that she was losing consciousness.
'There aren't even 30 minutes left... right...'
Now, no matter what doctor comes, he won't be able to save her, because she can clearly feel the poison spreading throughout her body.
It was then that Ferdinand took all the bugs away, and in this silent space, a soft voice like the melody of a flute could be heard.
“Hello? Courtney.”
It was Odette.
“...Ugh.”
“It’s nice to meet you in such a completely different position from my past life. Back then, I was in your shoes, and you were smiling.”
Odette was wearing a black cloak over her black dress.
In the cemetery around the execution ground, alone in the pitch-black night, she showed no sign of fear.
“Are you resentful that you died for something you knew nothing about? I really hope so. False accusation after false accusation. Injustice after injustice. I wanted to return everything you gave me.”
Courtney opened her mouth and didn't respond. She had lost her tongue and couldn't speak anyway.
Odette looked down at her mouth with soft eyes.
“Still, this is a comfortable death. Compared to the deaths that the other Count's people will experience in the future.”
“Ugh.”
“Of all my revenge targets, you have the least karma. All you did was disable my tongue on my father’s orders. That’s why I’m giving you this comfortable death.”
What on earth is this woman... talking about?... When did I ever do something like that?
That was the moment when Odette injected something into Courtney's body.
“This is an injection that will restore your senses. I don’t want you to die comfortably.”
As the pain of being bitten again returned, Courtney struggled and glared at Odette with tearful eyes.
“Didn’t you secretly put a pin in my clothes or a tack in my shoes? You were the one who put the needle in Paula’s whip.”
Odette smiled brightly.
“When I was young, you used to put clonia berries in my teacup to make my prayers swell. I always felt swollen and prickled because of you, so shouldn’t you feel it too?”
Odette let out a low laugh, a sound as elegant and gentle as a flute.
“Whew, Whew.”
Courtney's vision became even more blurred as the pain intensified.
In between, Odette's smiling face was visible.
“You’re really amazing, Brother. With so many insects under your command, you could have given the maid who served you her entire life an easier death.”
Courtney looked at Odette as she rose very gently. Her grace and neatness seemed very noble.
“But with that vulgarity, I guess I could come to see your end, Courtney.”
Odette smiled faintly.
Wearing a pitch-black dress and a cold smile, Odette made herself look like a real villainess.
'A villainess. That can't be... I know better...Ugh!'
To Courtney, Odette was so insignificant that she couldn't even be considered a villainess.
Over the vivid pain that was coming back to life, Courtney thought back to when she was a little girl.
A girl who wouldn't complain even if shr stabbed her with a pin or fed her the Clonia fruit and made her wheeze and pass out.
She also secretly put a pin in Paula's whip.
‘...I thought that kid...didn’t know.’
Because it was so much fun to tease that fairy girl.
Courtney was someone who got a dark pleasure from watching others be humiliated. She got pleasure from seeing people crumble before bullying.
Yeah, she used to find comfort in the thought that all humans are the same at the bottom.
But now Odette was looking at her own bottom, smiling like a true villainess.
“Goodbye, Courtney. You feel death more clearly than anyone else, and I hope you go to hell.”
The woman in black said that and then turned around and left.
On the way back to the mansion from the cemetery, Odette no longer used the secret passage.
“Miss, are you home? I will open the door for you.”
Because the gatekeepers, upon seeing her face, immediately bowed and opened the door.
This was because Mrs. Becker had given separate orders to the gatekeeper as soon as her mother left the mansion.
“Do not interfere with Lady Odette’s freedom of going out. And even if shr go through the main gate, do not report to the Count, Rolf, or the head maid. Report only to me. You are my people, hired by me, and now I am the one in power.”
As soon as she arrived at the mansion, dawn began to fade and day began to break.
Odette smiled and walked up the grand staircase of the mansion towards her room.
'I want to change rooms too. The room next to Ferdinand's is disgusting.'
There are still plans for the future, so it would be okay to take it slow. As Odettr opened the door, the warm sunlight of the dawn was streaming in through the wide-open window.
“Are you here, Miss?”
“Lize.”
“I just checked Gisela’s telegram and came right back. Karl arrived safely at Gisela’s house.”
“Thank you.”
It was a plan made when she didn't know about Karl's past.
She thinks that if he sees with his own eyes how well the Fenrir children are treated and spends time with them, his aversion towards Odette will decrease.
'But now I know. I don't have to worry about the disgust.'
Apart from Karl's unfortunate past, it didn't seem like a bad thing to her that he was 'following orders'.
Blindness was an absolute weakness. It was the best leash for anyone who would exploit him.
'Karl, I know how to use you.'
Odette drank the tea Lize offered her while pondering over how best to use Karl.
It was the best tea time, no need to worry about your throat getting sore anymore.
Paula left the room to see the Countess off, and while Mrs. Becker excitedly took up the Countess's office, the head maid, Dolly, trembled.
'If I hadn't honestly confessed the Countess's mistake earlier, I probably would have-.'
She knew that she was as valuable as a fly to the cold-hearted Count. However, she thought that the Countess cared for her superior servants.
The tips were generous, and she was kind to maids like Paula. Dolly thought she was aware of their hardships since she was from the common people.
'She would gladly sacrifice Courtney for Paula.'
The maid realized that she too was on the verge of death in the same situation as Courtney.
Soon Rolf brought up the idea of cutting the head maid's salary for her involvement with the Countess.
But she was so trembling that she couldn't even complain. She couldn't even think about Odette staring at her like that.
***
The enraged Count ordered Ferdinand to kill Courtenay without anyone knowing.
“If you’re going to do it, kill her as painfully as possible. Since she dared to touch my keys.”
Ferdinand agreed. His father seemed angry that Paula had touched Karl, but Ferdinand was angry that she had touched Odette.
Of course, it was Paula who had messed with Odette, but Ferdinand was not angry because she had the discernment to be his subordinate.
“How dare you, Paula and Courtney. Two worthless people join hands and mess with the property of their superiors?”
That's why Ferdinand chose his power as the way for Courtney to die. The power to control insects.
Without anesthesia, the pain was so intense that they summoned the most excruciating insects to sting Courtney's body.
Ferdinand, who had been harassing her for a long time, turned his back on Courtney and abandoned her in the graveyard when her death became certain.
Courtney died on the execution grounds, unable to even scream, her throat swollen from the insect's venom.
'It'll soon be dawn...'
It's been a painful night, but the pain seems to be going away now.
Courtney also knew that this was because she was so close to death that she was losing consciousness.
'There aren't even 30 minutes left... right...'
Now, no matter what doctor comes, he won't be able to save her, because she can clearly feel the poison spreading throughout her body.
It was then that Ferdinand took all the bugs away, and in this silent space, a soft voice like the melody of a flute could be heard.
“Hello? Courtney.”
It was Odette.
“...Ugh.”
“It’s nice to meet you in such a completely different position from my past life. Back then, I was in your shoes, and you were smiling.”
Odette was wearing a black cloak over her black dress.
In the cemetery around the execution ground, alone in the pitch-black night, she showed no sign of fear.
“Are you resentful that you died for something you knew nothing about? I really hope so. False accusation after false accusation. Injustice after injustice. I wanted to return everything you gave me.”
Courtney opened her mouth and didn't respond. She had lost her tongue and couldn't speak anyway.
Odette looked down at her mouth with soft eyes.
“Still, this is a comfortable death. Compared to the deaths that the other Count's people will experience in the future.”
“Ugh.”
“Of all my revenge targets, you have the least karma. All you did was disable my tongue on my father’s orders. That’s why I’m giving you this comfortable death.”
What on earth is this woman... talking about?... When did I ever do something like that?
That was the moment when Odette injected something into Courtney's body.
“This is an injection that will restore your senses. I don’t want you to die comfortably.”
As the pain of being bitten again returned, Courtney struggled and glared at Odette with tearful eyes.
“Didn’t you secretly put a pin in my clothes or a tack in my shoes? You were the one who put the needle in Paula’s whip.”
Odette smiled brightly.
“When I was young, you used to put clonia berries in my teacup to make my prayers swell. I always felt swollen and prickled because of you, so shouldn’t you feel it too?”
Odette let out a low laugh, a sound as elegant and gentle as a flute.
“Whew, Whew.”
Courtney's vision became even more blurred as the pain intensified.
In between, Odette's smiling face was visible.
“You’re really amazing, Brother. With so many insects under your command, you could have given the maid who served you her entire life an easier death.”
Courtney looked at Odette as she rose very gently. Her grace and neatness seemed very noble.
“But with that vulgarity, I guess I could come to see your end, Courtney.”
Odette smiled faintly.
Wearing a pitch-black dress and a cold smile, Odette made herself look like a real villainess.
'A villainess. That can't be... I know better...Ugh!'
To Courtney, Odette was so insignificant that she couldn't even be considered a villainess.
Over the vivid pain that was coming back to life, Courtney thought back to when she was a little girl.
A girl who wouldn't complain even if shr stabbed her with a pin or fed her the Clonia fruit and made her wheeze and pass out.
She also secretly put a pin in Paula's whip.
‘...I thought that kid...didn’t know.’
Because it was so much fun to tease that fairy girl.
Courtney was someone who got a dark pleasure from watching others be humiliated. She got pleasure from seeing people crumble before bullying.
Yeah, she used to find comfort in the thought that all humans are the same at the bottom.
But now Odette was looking at her own bottom, smiling like a true villainess.
“Goodbye, Courtney. You feel death more clearly than anyone else, and I hope you go to hell.”
The woman in black said that and then turned around and left.
On the way back to the mansion from the cemetery, Odette no longer used the secret passage.
“Miss, are you home? I will open the door for you.”
Because the gatekeepers, upon seeing her face, immediately bowed and opened the door.
This was because Mrs. Becker had given separate orders to the gatekeeper as soon as her mother left the mansion.
“Do not interfere with Lady Odette’s freedom of going out. And even if shr go through the main gate, do not report to the Count, Rolf, or the head maid. Report only to me. You are my people, hired by me, and now I am the one in power.”
As soon as she arrived at the mansion, dawn began to fade and day began to break.
Odette smiled and walked up the grand staircase of the mansion towards her room.
'I want to change rooms too. The room next to Ferdinand's is disgusting.'
There are still plans for the future, so it would be okay to take it slow. As Odettr opened the door, the warm sunlight of the dawn was streaming in through the wide-open window.
“Are you here, Miss?”
“Lize.”
“I just checked Gisela’s telegram and came right back. Karl arrived safely at Gisela’s house.”
“Thank you.”
It was a plan made when she didn't know about Karl's past.
She thinks that if he sees with his own eyes how well the Fenrir children are treated and spends time with them, his aversion towards Odette will decrease.
'But now I know. I don't have to worry about the disgust.'
Apart from Karl's unfortunate past, it didn't seem like a bad thing to her that he was 'following orders'.
Blindness was an absolute weakness. It was the best leash for anyone who would exploit him.
'Karl, I know how to use you.'
Odette drank the tea Lize offered her while pondering over how best to use Karl.
It was the best tea time, no need to worry about your throat getting sore anymore.
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